AP: Democrats trying to take back issues dominated by Republicans

[ryban]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It would be ridiculous to say Democrats like crime, hate the military, crave more taxes and are godless and immoral, but voters do see the party as weak on issues like faith, law and order, national security and morality.
And that's frustrating Democrats who are struggling to convince voters they're not as far to the left as they're made out to be. That's why they're trying even harder to gain ground on traditional Republican strengths in an effort to regain significance in the Capitol.

The goal is to win favor with voters outside of the Democrats' South Florida stronghold, especially among North Florida conservative Democrats who heavily vote Republican and the growing number of independent voters.

"We have fewer and fewer Democratic officials north of Lake Okeechobee and that's a problem," said Sen. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat from Palm Beach County. "We want to debunk the myth that Democrats are anti-family, anti-gun and anti-patriotic."

<snip>

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/022605/D88G05480.shtml

[Mountainman]

1. Again, what does it gain us to be just like them? Why vote repub lite

when you can vote for the real thing? Sometimes I think these stories are written by right wingers. "If Dems want to win they have to be repubs!"

What Dem's need to do is have a real identity separate from the right. Show the right as hypocritical when it comes to supporting troops and being moral while defining ourselves as alternatives.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. This phrase says it all

"struggling to convince voters they're not as far to the left as they're made out to be"

Yup. C'mon guys vote for us, we're ALMOST like Republicans!

:eyes:

[ClassWarrior]

3. They're fucking insane.

I think our Florida friends need to put the hurt on their reps.

NGU.

[Rose Siding]

9. There's an established lie in the article's premise

The "left" ISN'T WEAK on issues of "faith, law and order, national security and morality". Disagreements on issues doesn't keynote strength or weakness!

The bushies have diminished national strength in each of those areas, playing hard to the very unreality illustrated in this form of journalism.

[0rganism]

23. because everyone knows leftists love crime, taxes, godlessnes & immorality

With slant "journalism" like this, who needs JeffJimGannonGuckert?

[SoCalDem]

25. "everyone knows"..."some people say"..."it's common knowledge"

Phrases like that MUST be addressed.. Dems must DEMAND names, dates, proof. Repubes are masters of the codespeak, and drop in little gems like that every chance they get. Pretty soon it IS common knowledge because no one challenges them..

What if people YOU knew injected stuff like that whenever they mentioned your name:

"John Doe, you know..the one who people say beats the hell oout of his wife, well he's working at my company now"...or " You know that guy? everyone says he molested a kid", well he's our new neighbor"..

How would you be perceived in your community if everyone talked about you like that??

[0rganism]

26. Funny thing is, the media doesn't even need to say it anymore

It's all implicit. The stage is already set, the damage has already been done. The assumptions beg the question of acceptance, they are so "matter of factly" stated, as if no one could possibly argue against them. It's all around us now, we're treated like goddamned pariahs in our own country.

"When did you stop beating your wife?" :spank:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Lets not show them what we aren't.

That is a defensive posture and it won't succeed. Let's tell them what we are and what that means to them, in the context of the facts of life that goes on around them. More than anything else, while we do that, lets wield a big katana and cut through the illusions that the repukes create and disseminate every day.

Truth still has power. Always has. Let's speak it loudly and clearly.

[Atman]

5. I wish SOMEONE had the cajones to just say it...

"The republican party hierarchy -- not the rank and file, which is made up largely of otherwise intelligent, good Americans -- is simply lying to America. Lying to America to advance it's pro-corporate, pro-wealthy, anti-working-class agenda. They have spent years in a concerted effort to buy up media outlets, train highly skilled marketing people cloaked as "advisors" or "strategists," all for the purpose of making us believe they are something they are not.

"Make no mistake, it has been a brilliant and far-reaching effort. But it has all been a lie. Just look at our own government...the republicans, the party who claimed to be all about less government and about fiscal responsibility, have expanded the size and scope of government bureaucracy in almost every respect. And they've brought about the larget deficits in history in the process.

"Yet, each Sunday morning, or all day long on the cable news shows, you'll hear "advisor" after "advisor" telling America that republicans are all about getting government out of people's lives, while keeping us secure; it has become ever more apparent that the Constitution is the only vestige of "government" the republican party is truly out to eliminate.

"Look no further than their own words, the words of their party leader and president of the United States, George W. Bush..."We will run America like a business." Now, look at the state of American business and you'll see that this is perhaps the one campaign promise the republican party has actually kept...with its new Republican Board of Directors, America is cutting your benefits, outsourcing your jobs, closing your plants, and forcing you to work ever harder to keep up, while the cronie-Congress-board votes itself fat pay increases and lucrative sweetheart deals.

"America is being run like a business. And it is being run by a businessman with a track record of failed businesses! Yet somehow, the talking head cable media and sound-byte network news shows have managed to allow the republicans all the airtime necessary to pitch their company's "New and Improved" snakeoil.

"The trouble with this current setup is that "business" used to have "government" regulations (ooh...that scary democrat word!) designed to help keep increasingly powerful industries from placing profit ahead of the public safety. But now, the government and the corporations have become one, and THAT is the only true face of the Republican Party.

"Truly, religion and compassion have no place in the modern Republican Party...they are but buzzwords towards more faith-based contracts and voter loyalty. Ask yourselves, other than talking a LOT about faith, what has President Bush or the Republican Party truly done in regard to their shameless pandering? Advanced or even proposed a gay marriage amendment? Prayer in schools? Abortion? Whether or not one opposes or agrees with any of the positions, the fact remains that since the 2004 campaign season, the republican party has done virtually nothing toward fullfilling the faith-based promises it made to America. They've simply instituted a large government program which sends your tax dollars to developers and builders and administrators and all manner of people running something called "faith-based" organizations. Has your church or synagogue or mosque received any of these funds? Billions of dollars being spent, while children and families in need in every walk of life except those in Bush's "base" -- the top 1% -- are feeling the effects of republican budget policy as everything from health programs to after school programs are decimated in order to provide tax breaks to the "base" and fund a perpetual war which also just happens to greatly enhance the portfolios of much of his adminstration and indeed, his own family.

"When will we say "ENOUGH!" America. All anyone really needs to do, republican or democrat, is lay the cards on the table. Match words to deeds. The Republican party rode into office on a flying carpet of lies and misdeeds, continues to lie to the American people to this day, and their policies are literally -- literally -- devastating America in both stature abroad, and in terms of liberty and quality of life at home.

"Look up any set of bar graphs and charts, America. Reality speaks louder than Bush's jumbled words. Peace and prosperity are democratic ideals, and we see peace and prosperity most under democratic adminstrations with democratic goals and aspirations born of true compassion, not fear, or the next big merger deal. America never lost its compassion and its willingness to do what it takes to build a truly great society; the republicans hi-jacked it, repackaged it, and sold it back to us as a cheap imitation, with half the features at twice the price.

"After all. It's only business. And that's exactly what the Republican Party promised us!

"Enough!"


---


Well there...I guess I said it!

[Ouabache]

6. I hear that !

Just say it like Atman. over and over.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. I think they need you in Florida

great! Brilliant!

[go west young man]

8. Right on the money!

[Itsthetruth]

10. Democratic Party Must Move To The Right

In order to remain "moderates" just slightly to the "left" of the Republican Party agenda, the Democratic Party must continue to move to the right as Republicans move farther to the right!

They have done a great job along those lines so far. They never will catch up to the Republicans. The Democratic Party doesn't want to. And if they did, how could they convince anyone they are the "lesser evil" and a real alternative to the Republican Party?

Please. They are not stupid! The selling argument will always be "the Republicans are worse than us!".

John Kerry knew he pretty much had the vote of progressives, labor, minorities and liberals in the bag no matter what he said and did.

No demands were made by progressive groups on John Kerry in return for their political support. They demanded nothing from John Kerry and they got nothing. And they would do it all over again!

The spectacle of anti-war organizations and activists supporting a pro-war candidate for President was amazing. The anti-war movement collapsed. It became nearly invisible during most of the election year. Nearly everyone forgot about organizing against the Iraq war and got deeply imbeded in a pro-war election campaign! The anti-war movement still hasn't recovered from that election fiasco.

[sallyseven]

11. I will go to the right three days after they

declare me dead. this is all nonsense. Lets get together and put our ideas together and fight the sobs. We are moral, but not judgmental. We don't think Christians have any place in the hate business. We stand to protect the working man and women. Children are our first priority in health care and education. Lets act like democrats and kick their butts.

[primavera]

17. That works

Three days after you're dead, you'll begin to smell a lot like Repuke policy!

[bvar22]

15. "And they would do it all over again".

Don't count on it!

Most of my GREEN friends feel betrayed.
Their rally cry is: NEVER Again!

[Itsthetruth]

16. I Hope So

Well, I hope they are not still attacking and slandering Peter Camejo and Nader.

David Cobb got it wrong and now the Green Party is really hurting.

[prairierose]

12. Thank you, Atman, you said it...

beautifully. That is exactly the message that every dem/liberal/progressive should be repeating at every opportunity.

:yourock:

[Joe Chi Minh]

20. And don't forget,

Kerry's landslide victory in this election could scarcely give more compelling proof that the vast majority of people understood the truth long ago. For goodness sake, why would they have voted for Bush in Florida, after the Clinton boom years. (Sure he wasn't *that* helpful to the working people, but his administration was always going to be immeasurably more helpful to them than even a regular Republican one).

No. It was inconceivable. Even given a politically unsophisticated electorate, common to all countries. Florida was an MSM-lubricated victory for wholesale neocon fraud. The figures available now show that they were no even longer even also-rans. What they are now is a footnote in history. They just don't know it.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

14. Extremely well spoken

I wonder if it has more to do with people actually believing the lies though? Bush kept yelling terrorist attack and after 9/11 I wonder if people took it almost like disobeying bush would bring inevitable chaos within the time past the elections to the inauguration of kerry. Kind of like pacifying an obviously psychotic person/party so they don't seek retribution on clawing their way out of office, and the 'terrorist threat' which bush seemed to threaten more than anyone else was kind of like displaying the large extracted claws they usually retract for their simpler audiences. Showing an osama tape just before elections had two impacts, A) we were in trouble with kerry (the ignorant brand of sheep) and B) we're going to DEAL with osama because bush is going to go on some tyrade if he wins. Some taking it more of a threat from bush than from the terrorists themselves.

Of course I know that a great deal are diluted and would believe what he had to say, I'm just wondering if this 'huge mandate turnout' was more fear driven from what he'd do if he lost than the fact they really thought the snake oil was going to cure their ailments. Some people take it as 'better to buy sugar water than be forced poison', which still doesn't help... More like a man with a gun than a shephard, pointing their gun at the sheep and leading them to the slaughter than a shephard who's going to save them. I wonder if some of what the democratic party needs is the assurance they'd prevent psychotic right-wing dischord if they were elected to the people instead of sitting idly by and seemingly twiddling their thumbs as bush erradicates the environment and things like social security.

I think dean will dispell that quite shortly though, and along with the telling the people of the right wing lies and showing the american people the democrats can be strong AND be left is more important than telling the people how right we can be. Regardless, that hit it right on the money. That speech would reduce any pro-we're buying what bush is selling advocate to the simple insults like yelling four more years, which is a sure fire way to tell it's working ;)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

19. Please make that post its own thread!

[sandnsea]

13. Debunk the myth?

Well if it's a myth, because they lie, then there isn't anything to debunk, now is there? Liberals like crime, hate the military, crave taxes and are godless and immoral?? Is that it Aronberg?

What about Republicans who are pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-civil unions, pro-social programs and believe in a Constitutional military that only protects our borders? How about pointing out their liberal values? Do their liberal values make them godless and immoral?

[applegrove]

18. Democrats are a big tent. Even the rich are under the tent - if they pay

their taxes. Democrats are about regulations to make sure markets are not only 'efficient' but transparent & fair. Also where the market doesn’t' do a good job at following rules - regulations are good. And certain transfer of wealth has to take place every generation so that the elites do not get in control of the Democracy and turn it back into an Oligoply so they can use the people to their own ends and eject them from economic chance & choice at not cost to them.

So many issues the democrats have been separated from. If you feed your family in any way other than growing food on your front lawn then you are in a MARKET. And you depend on that market for your middle class living. Before markets - there was no middle class. And some things the market does not deliver well like health care: costs & fairness is better in a universal system because an ounce of prevention actually pays. So because you do not have a utopian & delusional connection to the market - you only use the market when it serves you (jobs, creating wealth, etc.).

Could for the leadership for now allowing those sociopathic neocons/rovbots/gop/corporations from separating you from yourself. That is what a good psychopath will do to kill you psychologically ... they will get you to do something or go after something that is not in your best interest. To liberals - they get us to 'hate the market' when in fact we want the middle class to thrive (and to stop shrinking). Look at what they have gotten poor freepers to do? vote for a regressive tax system by cloaking the vote in a war. Don't let the Repukes destroy you. Stay in the big tent. The one where if you are human and want to make sure the middle class is strong - you support wealth creation (what do you think houses are).You support regulated markets (what do you think private property laws are). You support laws of supply & demand (where large groups of seniors will get together and negotiate better deals with drug companies (the seniors took advantage of the buying power of being huge)). You support a basic quality of life (where people will put into the government money to get insurance for health care, SS, etc.

If the Repukes manage to separate you from yourself and thus the market (market is 15000 years old at least) they have destroyed you. And that is what Karl Rove wants to do.

[TygrBright]

21. Since when...

...are positions like these (see below) either a.) "weak" or b.) not "left"?

Faith:
Democrats are (and have always been) people of faith's BEST FRIENDS. We are (and have always been) the ones vigilantly making sure that no one faith becomes "established" to the detriment of others. (For ugly, nasty examples of the results of such establishment, see: Large portions of the rest of the world, including Northern Ireland and the Middle East.)

We are also the ones protecting the integrity of faith institutions by keeping them out of government, where corruption, doctrinal and theological perversion, and loss of focus on the spiritual nature of faith is unavoidable.

This has ALWAYS been a "left" position, and is the most valuable and pro-faith service any political group can render.

Crime and law enforcement:
Democrats believe strongly in crime prevention and in law enforcement. This has always been true. The best way to prevent crime is to ensure that young people get quality education that prepares them for good jobs which are readily available to them. (A VERY Democratic, VERY "left" position for decades.) Democrats also believe strongly in effective crime fighting and law enforcement, and have (again, for decades) advocated two extremely effective tools for this purpose: First, a strong emphasis on community-based policing and empowering local police forces WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE CONSTITUTION to creat strong communities united against crime; and second, reducing recidivism (the largest source of crime, BTW--a small percentage of criminals is responsible for a disproportionately large share of crime) through strong in-prison education, drug rehabilitation, vocational preparation, and pre- and post-release monitoring programs.

These are damn' STRONG positions, and have been considered classic "left" positions all along.

National Security:
Democrats have traditionally embraced a broad spectrum of 'national security' viewpoints within the Party's ranks, from the rabid anti-Commie hawks of the 50s and 60s to firm opposition to boondoggle defense spending and unproductive saber-rattling. In general, the Democratic position on national security is that our nation is most secure when we have plenty of firm, strong friends and allies throughout the world who trust our government's policy to be one of discretion, restraint, and international cooperation unless an unequivocal and serious threat is indisputably present. At which point we bring out the big stuff, apply it with competence and dispatch, and then apply adequate resources to cleanup and rebuilding.

Again, a "strong" position, and an unequivocally "left" policy.

Morality:
Ex-CUSE me? We OWN "morality." WE, the DEMOCRATS, are the Party that believes a nation's moral worth should be judged based on how the least important, weakest, most vulnerable members of society fare in our communities.

If that isn't the absolute definition of collective, public policy "morality," I'd like to know what is? Keeping evil homo perverts from ever being seen in public?

Please.

Again, a strong position, a principled position, a traditional Democratic position, and an UNEQUIVOCALLY "LEFT" position.

And I, for one, am DAMN' proud of those positions, and how "left" they are!

belligerently,
Bright

[madfloridian]

22. Aronberg and the Florida Mainstream Democrats are like DLC in ideology.

They claim to be that themselves. They had a meeting in Orlando last week-end. They did not even invite Scott Maddox. They are furious because he endorsed Dean for chair. They did not invite Bud Chiles either. Scott is not one of them. Here is some stuff I have put together on this group...more in the Florida forum.

I did like what they did about supporting the troops though, but I do not trust this group. Their goal is to run Rod Smith as governor, or at least to throw their support behind him.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Florida Mainstream Democrats
Democrats from new caucus.
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/local/8498344.htm

http://mainstreamdemocrats.com/
Here is the website.
Florida's government should help hard working
people who play by the rules.

The Florida Mainstream Democrats support
patriotism and our armed forces.

The Florida Mainstream Democrats believe that
faith and moral conviction are the centerpiece to
our communities.

18 seek to shed liberal tag
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/8497626.htm
''I think our primary goal is to elect Democrats,'' said Sen. Steve Geller, the Hallandale Beach Democrat who leads the organization. ``Our secondary goal is to remind moderate to conservative voters in the state of Florida that the Democratic Party really does represent them as well.''

Geller said the group's philosophical ties are close to the Democratic Leadership Council, the national, moderate Democratic group that represents the more conservative wing of the party and that helped elect President Bill Clinton and bring other Southern Democrats to prominence.

Republicans have been successful at tagging all Democrats as liberals -- as though it were a dirty word, said Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua. He and other members of the group want to remind people of the party's values, including an emphasis on jobs, family, tolerance and faith."

Democrats reconsider, open meeting on future
http://www.stpetetimes.com/2005/02/15/State/Democrats_reconsider_.shtml

Probably just as well, but Republicans here have gutted our Sunshine laws already.

[jab105]

24. This article is framed horribly...what an idiot...

debunk the myth my ass (literally:))

Republians are anti-family, and here is why...they favor tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans over programs that could help working families...

Republicans are anti-law enforcement...and heres why, they haven't proteted the harbors, the let the assault weapons ban expire, they refuse to pay for officers...etc.

Republicans are anti-patriotic...and here's why...war in Iraq, making vets pay more for care, dividing the nation instead of uniting it...

Those are WEAKNESSES of the Republicans...and they should be repeated over and over...

Just by SAYING that we want to debunk the myth...we are allowing the Republicans to frame the issue...

We should send him a Lakoff book!! ARGH!

[mmonk]

27. All one has to do is tell the truth

about the lawlessness of the administration. Don't appease the scum bottom of hillbilly America.